breneff Reviews

Young Sheldon (2017–2024)

This Show Has No Right To Be This Good

[10/10 · 4 October 2023]

After the finale of this previous season, I finally have come to the realization that this is one of the better sitcoms I have seen in a very, very, very long time. Let me just start off by saying that I never got into big bang theory. I had friends who were really into it, but whenever I watched it I just saw it as cringe nerd humor by people who weren't actually nerds... Or that's what I thought at the time. As time has gone on, I realize that there's a lot more inside jokes, and deeper moments in that show... and the reason why I've come around to it is 100% because of a Young Sheldon. It takes the best parts of Big Bang Theory and gets rid of the cringey laugh track style comedy for a more dry and intelligent sense of humor and extremely funny witty characters while also ironically being a more mature show about the interpersonal relationships of a family on the verge of collapsing. It's funny, it's super heartwarming, it's sad, and it's also extremely smart with how it handles its characters. I had zero expectations going into the show when I first started watching it but as the years went on, it's become one of my favorite sitcoms out right now. I love the fact that it's not afraid to pull back the comedic punches and delve into more dramatic, mature themes. I think once the show ends people are going to look back and realize how surprisingly high of quality the writing is in the show and it's going to go down as one of the greatest sitcoms of all time. A+

Ahsoka (2023– )

A Final Star Wars Review from A Very Sad Fan

[6/10 · 31 August 2023]

I have to say at this point I'm emotionally exhausted with Disney ownership of Star Wars. There's only so much of a beating you can take as a fan before you just say... I'm done. And I think I'm finally there because I could not care any less about this franchise anymore at this point after watching this bland, stoic lifeless re-creation of some of the most beloved characters in this franchise that I used to hold dear to my heart.

The series is definitely cool in the regards of the returning characters, and the intrigue of where the story is going to go... but other than that this is a very bland, slow paced series that takes itself way too seriously. The humor that Asoka used to have from The Cline Wars and Rebels is 100% gone. It's also to note that Disney's casting for good guys and bad guys is so obvious at this point because all the good guys are girls and all the bad guys are boys. I'm not saying this to exaggerate or to try and make an argument about where Disney is going... I mean literally all the girls are good and all the guys are evil. It's almost comical. Also, the dialogue is in sanely wooden and characters just stare at each other, and the actors try and act, super stoic and serious during situations where they should be jovial and talkative. The light saber fights are cool, and it's cool to see the returning characters back again, but overall, just like the Obi-Wan Kenobi show, this is a huge disappointment.

And this is my goodbye. I have so much admiration for this creation that George Lucas brought us. But there's a cut off point to this love where I have to respect the short time that I have on this earth, and accept the fact that the franchise that I know as Star Wars ended with George Lucas and "Disney Star Wars" is its own thing, because this is no longer feels like the franchise I used to love. So goodbye Star Wars... May the force be with you.

Peter Pan & Wendy (2023)

Some Good Acting But Overall Disappointing

[4/10 · 25 May 2023]

Let's get this out of the way... I have no problem with a movie having a fresh take on a character or story. As long as it honors the spirit of the original source material, I'm all for it. But when a movie gets to the point where the story not only loses sight of the main message of the original source but also strips the characters of their personalities it's hard to recommend it for someone going in there expecting a faithful adoption. Hence, Peter Pan and Wendy... the newest live action adaption from Walt Disney Pictures.

Let's start with some positives though! Some of the action scenes were done pretty well, and the portrayal of Captain Hook was very good. I also thought the actress who played Tiger Lily did an extremely good job as well and I personally really like the fact that they used a real Native American actress to play as her this time. There are a few times during the movie where I was surprised that they did use some of the more obscure material from the books but it doesn't happen that often. Also, the cinematography is very well done, and it gives it an epic feel.

But then we get into the story and the characters... Which is my main issue with this film.

All the characters are surprisingly very mean spirited to each other. It gets to the point where there's really nobody to root for by the end of the movie. All of the classic personality traits of each of the characters are pretty much gone because of this. It feels less like a fun filled family adventure and more like an A24 movie. It doesn't fit, and it just comes off as empty and depressing. The locations are very drab and boring and looks nothing like what Neverland is supposed to be (vibrant, colorful, almost like Pandora from Avatar). Also, the editing transitions between certain scenes seem very cheap and something you would see from a TV movie from the early 2000s.

In the end this movie is a weird and slightly depressing interpretation of a classic story. There are a few scenes that are fun to watch and some of the actors do a very good job (especially Captain Hook and Tiger Lily) but overall it's not something I would recommend if you were looking for a super faithful adaptation.

The Cable Guy (1996)

An Underrated Dark Satire

[7/10 · 18 May 2023]

Don't go into this expecting a lighthearted, goofy Jim Carrey comedy. The movie is a dark satire about entertainment versus reality and how invasive and corrupting entertainment can in people's lives. Jim Carrey's character was basically a human personification of TV and entertainment. This is all due to the fact that he was basically raised by the television, because his mother was never around. Which is why he always refers to TV as the babysitter. This is also why he is so obsessed with material needs and being overly dramatic and theatrical in normal social situations. This is what he thinks reality is because he views entertainment and the television as reality.

Even the court case that goes on in the background of the movie deals with this. Everybody is glued to their TVs and can't stop talking about the court case and even at one point there is a movie made about the trial before a verdict even happens. And it's all at the expense of the persons life that is on trial. That's the whole point of the movie is that when the lines between entertainment and reality are blurred so much that you don't stop and think that this is all at the expense of someone's life.

I will admit there are times where the movie can be very uncomfortable to watch. Even with the mindset that it is a darker comedy there are times where its hard to watch how much Matthew Broderick is tormented and harassed by Jim Carrey. I also feel like the movie could've done a better job with tying up loose ends in the story and connecting things. A few story elements feel like they just go to the wayside and are never mentioned again. But overall it's still a good movie and I feel like it's very misunderstood and underrated.

Also, this movie does have Jim Carrey doing the best karaoke performance in human history, so there is that!

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)

A Beautifully Dark and Goofy Goodbye

[9/10 · 3 May 2023]

This. This is what I've wanted. Yeah some of the jokes are a bit too silly and the tone is a bit confusing at times. But the end result for me is probably the most heartfelt emotional reaction from me to a comic book movie since Endgame. It's not a perfect film, I am conflicted with what the did with Adam Warlock. And the main villain is a little hammy. But the personal relationship between the guardians and where they take them is dark, heartbreaking, and also beautiful. This is also the best performance from Chris Pratt probably his entire time playing this character. But the person who steals the show is Rocket. I don't know how but they need to change the rules degree voice acting performances can be nominated for Oscars because it was incredible. This is the most emotionally satisfying experience I've had with the MCU in a very long time. And every critic who is saying that the movie is too schmaltzy or sappy... doesn't understand how much these characters not only mean to people but also James Gunn. This isn't just a final chapter of a story, it's a goodbye to a set of characters and films that changed the landscape of not only the tone and vibe of superhero movies but also changed the fact that weird unknown characters who have strange stories can be highlighted in these films.

The Book of Boba Fett (2021–2022)

Just Okay

[6/10 · 22 April 2023]

There are scenes in the series that are absolutely amazing but as a whole is just average. I have a major issue with the fact that it undoes a lot of what happen in the Mandalorian season two which was arguably one of the best things I've seen based around Star Wars. With that said the main actor who plays Boba Fett is awesome as well the actress who plays Fennec. But there are too many times, where the storytelling feels very rushed. If you're a fan of the clone wars series, you were going to enjoy it a lot because of the Easter eggs and "things that return". But even then it feels like a let down because they're not utilized properly and it kind of goes to waste. All in all it was enjoyable, but I really felt like it was not as good as what it should've been.

The Mandalorian (2019– )

Just Stop After Season 2

[8/10 · 22 April 2023]

This show is basically the Star Wars equivalent to Prison Break, where the first two seasons are amazing because they had a complete thought out story. While everything afterwards just feels like a fanfic just to bring the characters back together. The biggest mistake Disney made was undoing the whole point of the first two seasons of the show with the events of Book of Boba Fett which should have been a stand a lone series but felt more like another season of the Mandalorian. With that said those first two seasons in the ark that happens at the end, literally brought me to tears, and is one of the best moments in Star Wars history. Nothing can really take away that experience that I had at the end of that arc. However, the events of all the spinoff shows and seasons afterwards do kind of cheapen it for people looking to rewatch the series or getting into it for the first time.

All Quiet on the Western Front (2022)

Stanley Kubrick Vibes

[10/10 · 15 February 2023]

I watch the original before I watch this and even the original for being a 1930s movie was surprisingly impactful and was on par with the violence and terror of Saving Private Ryan. But this... wow. This is the different level. With the strange otherworldly score in the background combined with the onslaught of gruesome war moments that feel more like a horror film than a war movie, and the ethereal dreamlike cinematography I can honestly say this is one of the best war movies I have seen. This honestly felt like a "bad dream" brought to life. One thing that a lot of people don't really talk about is how experimental the film feels. The terrifying techno-ish score that feels like something out of The Shining plus the dream like imagery and long lasting sequences of emotional terror from these characters give this film a major Stanley Kubrick vibe. This is one of the most horrifying and brutal war films I've ever seen.

Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)

An Extremely Entertaining (Messy) Movie

[8/10 · 19 December 2022]

I love this movie a lot. I personally feel like the action and the special effects are way better than they were in the first movie. I also like the darker vibe it takes towards the last half. With that being said the story overall is very convoluted. Especially with the amount of characters that are in the movie. Sometimes the characters do things without any explanation and it feels more like shock value then something the character would actually do and it's hard to connect with them. But overall it was an extremely fun movie and I have never seen visuals like this in my entire life. You definitely need to experience it in the theater. Also the villain Quaritch is the best part of the movie. I am looking forward to the next one though. I feel like there's going to be a lot less set up in the third movie and it's going to be a much more enjoyable story. But for me personally I loved the underwater stuff and I really genuinely cared about the message more in this one. I think that's what James Cameron cares about more is that you connect more of the message than you do with the characters.

Wednesday (2022– )

I'm Officially Done With Rotten Tomatoes

[9/10 · 27 November 2022]

For the life of me I cannot figure out the absolute terrible takes that the rotten tomatoes website has on actually good TV shows and movies. They literally called this a CW show with Wednesday Addams. I was shocked because I'll be honest this is probably the best experience I've had watching a show on Netflix since the first season of stranger things. Not only is it one of the best shows I've seen this year but it's probably one of the best things that Tim Burton has done in a very long time. Jenna Ortega is the best part of the show but all the other characters are extremely likable as well and nobody is perfect. Which is also the thing that I like the most is that everybody in the show is flawed. It's not super over the top cartoony dark like some of the movies are but it takes a little bit more of a realistic approach with the Addams family personalities and relationships. The Burton monster elements are still there though and they are awesome to watch. If you look at it more through the angle of Wednesday trying to find empathy and a reason to care about the people around her you get a lot more out of it. So for me personally I really don't understand why snobby critics just accuse us of being a cheesy teen drama with a consensus that you would see on CW... because it has a lot more to say than those types of shows and it's also very smart in the approach that they have with the Addams family and their relationship with each other and the people in the town that this takes place in. Please give this a watch this is a good show!

Black Adam (2022)

The Rock's Power Fantasy

[6/10 · 19 October 2022]

I'm not gonna lie, I never understood why we needed a Black Adam movie. He's an antihero who used to be a Shazam villain. It would make more sense to have him be a villain in the Shazam sequel and then set up his individual film. I don't know why we are trying to have him be the new face of DC. It's also strange that the actor Dwayne Johnson is so obsessed with him being more powerful than Superman. It's cool that the Rock is passionate about this character but after what I just saw it's almost if the only reason why he was passionate about it is because of how powerful and edgy he is in the fact that he's better than everyone else. Also... Black Adam supposed to be Egyptian. The rock is not Egyptian, he doesn't even have Egyptian accent or is even able to speak Egyptian. It bothers me so much and nobody talks about it. They barely care about his backstory at all or his personality. In fact I would say he has zero personality in this movie because all he is is stoic, boring, and power-hungry. I love the rock and the majority of his films but this does kind of feel like a power fantasy he wrote especially due to the fact the guy during the movie barely takes a beating and just rails through all of his adversaries consistently. It's kind of hard to get invested into a character that is basically invincible. Superman is interesting because he has weaknesses and other people that are stronger than him. He's also a humble person and he has a lot going for him personality wise because of his upbringing. There's nothing here other than "I'm not a hero, and I kill, and I'm super powerful, and nobody can beat me". That's it that's the entire motive of this guy. It is cool to see a brooding ultraviolent superhero who kills without mercy. But you need to give the character inner turmoil and something to like about him in order for people to really care about him. Then the movie gets into the justice society which is where the movie starts to go downhill even more. These are characters that have never been introduced before and the film seems to care more about powers than it does about the characters origins. Which in all honesty is kind of the main theme of the movie. It just cares about powers. It doesn't care about anything else. Very disappointed.

Eternals (2021)

Underrated

[7/10 · 17 September 2022]

I personally feel like this movie is very underrated. It's not as jokey or flashy as any of the other Marvel movies but that's kind of why I like it. It felt less like a superhero movie and more like an art film about gods and what it does to your psyche when you live for such a long time on the planet that's not yours.

There's a lot of different diverse personalities in this and it shows interesting ways of how these characters and not only cope with their longevity but also take advantage of the world around them. Even though the characters seem wooden in the beginning of the movie as time goes on you start to at least in my opinion connect with them and their relationships to each other. I love the fact that the humor isn't over the top and one is there it's to help you understand the characters more instead of just being goofy for the sake of being goofy.

The main point of the movie is basically about the passing of time and what it does to people. Hence the song played over the marvel logo being Time by Pink Floyd. As time goes on these characters change how not only how they feel about each other but humanity all together, for better or for worse.

There are also twists in the movie that I did not expect that were pretty surprising. Without going into much detail I like the fact that all of these characters are kind of in the gray and aren't 100% good guys or bad guys. It feels more like a Snyder film in the sense that it's less about superheroes being quippy and trying to save the day and more about imperfect gods trying to figure out what there purpose is.

To a lot of people this felt like a huge step backwards for the MCU. For me this was a refreshing change of pace for these movies.

The only negatives that I will say is that I did not care at all about the romance between Ikaris and Sersi. There was absolutely zero chemistry between them. Also, personally, I can't stand Sprite. She is an insufferably selfish character she just came off as super annoying.

Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie (2022)

Shocked How Good It Was

[8/10 · 22 August 2022]

I understand that it's way different than what is considered to be "classic TMNT" but if you look past that and pay attention more to the characters, the amazing art, and the surprisingly heartfelt story that's being told it's an extremely rewarding experience.

This is the most emotional I have been watching anything TMNT related probably ever. Also it does eventually bring in the more classic elements of the show and the comics as you continue to watch and it finds creative ways to make it feel more like it did in the 80s in early 90s. I would say give it a chance and watch the whole thing and you might be pleasantly surprised with what you get.

Also Michelangelo is my favorite turtle and he probably has one of the most emotional heart wrenching scenes in any TMNT movie I have ever seen.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022)

And Once Again... The Critics Are Wrong

[9/10 · 31 March 2022]

I'm genuinely confused on why critics are going out of their way to try and review these films as if they were trying to be Gone with the Wind. For me personally I felt like this was one of the better video game movies I have ever seen. The addition of the other video game characters and only make this 1000 times more entertaining than the first one. I also felt like the rivalry between sonic and knuckles really worked and you can tell that there was a lot of animosity between the characters which was the point of their rivalry. It's not perfect, or some things with the human characters that are pretty boring and obnoxious. I just don't get why they won't make a movie about the characters from the game themselves and not try and add a bunch of side human characters to further along a less interesting plot. Other than that I really like that I really don't understand why critics are so hard on this franchise. Every complaint that I've seen about this movie they are saying that this is a cash grab for sonic. This is a sonic movie! Why would they not be using elements from the games that are related to sonic if it's a sonic movie? That's ridiculous. Same thing with Uncharted I just think critics are way too hard on these video game movies because of the stigma around them. For me... This is just as good if not better than the first one. Also stay for the credits if you're a fan of a franchise... OH MY GOD!!!

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

Watch the R-Rated Version

[9/10 · 23 February 2022]

It's not a perfect film but if you watch the extended R-rated version then a lot of the plot makes a lot more sense and you get a better understanding of why people fear Superman and the mystery of Gotham and reasons why Clark can't stand the idea of Batman. It's a much better film if you watch it that way. The PG-13 version a lot of the scenes are cut and you don't get the full context of what people are talking about. But with all that said even without the extended scenes for me personally I really enjoyed the film and the different direction that they took these characters especially with Batman. Ben Affleck still is as of now my favorite actor who has portrayed him and the warehouse scene is the best Batman action scene in film history as of this point. The final act of the movie is still really goofy in both versions though and what they do with the villain in the end I am not a fan of. Other than that I actually really like It.

Peacemaker (2022– )

Surprisingly Amazing!

[9/10 · 18 February 2022]

Look I'm not gonna sit here and act like that James Gunn Suicide Squad movie was perfect. As much as I personally liked it I will admit it had a lot of issues in terms of the story and pace especially in the final act. So when I first heard about I thought it would be just a silly fun show to watch in the background. Man was I wrong! This show is freaking awesome! It's so dark and funny. It's also the best thing I've seen James Gunn do. Sure there are some woke moments but overall it doesn't distract from the show being entertaining as hell. The action scenes are really well done. The humor is ridiculous and doesn't hold back at all. It also gets pretty deep and heartbreaking sometimes. Overall this is probably my favorite DC TV show since Doom Patrol first came out. Well done!

The Matrix Resurrections (I) (2021)

Felt Like A Bad Fanfic

[4/10 · 23 December 2021]

I liked the meta elements in the first half but then once the real plot kicks in it kind of lost me. The new characters and action scenes feel like something out of a bad Divergent movie. It's also pretty cynical about the past films and the idea of sequels in general. The only part so liked was the new character Bugs. Otherwise this was very disappointing.

Hawkeye (2021)

A Lot of Heart

[8/10 · 23 December 2021]

It's a nice light hearted change of pace for the MCU and Kate Bishop was great. I liked the fact they are going back to the street level action. I don't mind the Multiverse stuff in fact I love it but it is nice to see heroes fighting crime for a change. There's also some returning characters in here that were a big (and welcomed) shock to see. The only one issue I have is that I'm not a fan of what they did with one of the returning characters in the end. If they follow the comics then I'll be OK with it but as it stands now I'm not a huge fan of what was done with the character. Jeremy Renner is really good in this as well. There are some emotional scenes with him and it shows how great of an actor he is. The only other thing that I will say is that sometimes the humor is a bit off putting during tense moments. This happens a lot, but that's more of an issue with Marvel in general rather than the show. With that said I really liked it a lot though. I would definitely recommend it.

Glass (2019)

Beautifully weird

[9/10 · 11 January 2019]

Let me start by saying the critics are just flat out WRONG with this one. And this is coming from a guy who has only enjoyed about half of this guys movies. If you are going in their to watch a superhero movie check yourself at the door. This is a dark twisted psychological horror with a chaotic like thread that reminds you of noir films of the past. It's like a Picasso painting in movie form. The ending is divisive and risky, which I love! It's not for everybody, but I think that's why I loved this movie.